PG Apartment

Higienópolis, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

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PG Apartment

Higienópolis, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

Firm

Studio Guzlive

Type

Residential › Apartment

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2025

SIZE

1000 sqft - 3000 sqft

Located in the Higienópolis neighborhood — one of the most traditional residential areas in central São Paulo, known for its modernist architecture and spacious apartments built throughout the 20th century — PG Apartment occupies a unit in a building designed by architect Oswaldo Carlos Bratke, a key figure in Brazilian architecture, with a notable body of work spanning the 1940s to the 1960s.

It is within this architectural context that the renovation of the 133 m² residence takes place, led by Gustavo Live, Principal Architect of Studio Guzlive, for a young single entrepreneur. Also trained as an architect, the homeowner currently works in commercial project development and was responsible for both the design and construction of his previous residence. This familiarity with the design process, combined with a shared architectural repertoire, enabled a direct and precise dialogue with the project’s author, aligning expectations, references, and solutions.

For the owner, the decision to acquire the new property stemmed from a desire to expand the scale of his former home and to more clearly organize the different dimensions of everyday life. These include hosting friends, pursuing his passion for cooking, working from home on certain days, and dedicating time to personal activities such as music. The opportunity arose with the purchase of a new unit in a neighborhood historically associated with quality of life, characterized by the close integration of residential, commercial, and leisure spaces. Its prime location, directly facing Buenos Aires Square, combined with the apartment’s transformation potential, proved decisive in the selection.

However, at the time of purchase, the apartment was in a significantly deteriorated condition. Decades of irregular maintenance had compromised much of its finishes. The wooden flooring showed pronounced staining, major variations in tone, and areas where deterioration had already affected the structural integrity of the boards. Wall finishes and paintwork revealed a series of poorly executed interventions over time, while the spatial layout remained largely unchanged since the building’s original construction.

The original floor plan reflected a domestic model typical of the 1940s: compartmentalized and with limited visual connection between spaces. This fragmentation resulted in underused circulation areas and restricted the potential integration of social spaces. Paradoxically, despite the large window frames facing the park, the apartment felt dark. This perception was not due to a lack of natural light, but rather to its difficulty in flowing through the isolated rooms.

During the initial site visit, the architect and future resident quickly identified the main principles guiding the intervention. The renovation would require a complete replacement of flooring, an update of materials, and, above all, a reorganization of the layout to allow light and circulation to flow more freely. Opening up the social areas thus became the project’s defining gesture.

The most significant transformation occurred between the kitchen and the living room. The wall that originally separated these spaces was removed, creating a continuous environment where the living and dining areas, kitchen, and a space dedicated to musical activities coexist without physical interruption. This decision directly responds to the owner’s lifestyle, which values social interaction and the ability to cook while engaging with guests. At the same time, the new configuration allows natural light to travel throughout the entire social area.

A structural column, part of the building’s original framework, was left exposed. Rather than concealing it, the design highlights it as a visual anchor. Clad in the same material used in the panels that organize the social area, the column becomes a key articulating element. A sculptural wall sconce installed on its surface reinforces this concept.

The reorganization of the layout also allowed previously underutilized areas—especially transitional zones and residual corners—to be reclaimed, improving overall spatial efficiency. The former dining room, for example, was reconfigured to accommodate a more generous kitchen integrated with the social space.

With the partial removal of walls, furniture and millwork assumed a central role. In the social area, MDF panels finished in a gray veneer cover the walls near the entrance and extend into the kitchen, forming a continuous visual base. The apartment’s entrance door and the service area door were integrated into this paneling system and equipped with spring-loaded mechanisms and recessed pulls, eliminating visible handles. When closed, they become nearly indistinguishable from the wall itself.

Although the kitchen and living room are fully integrated, the distinction between them is established through flooring materials. In the living and music areas, tauari wood flooring was installed, chosen for both its warmth and ease of installation. As a pre-engineered click system, it significantly reduced installation time, contributing to a more efficient construction schedule.

In the kitchen, a gray-toned synthetic surface resembling raw Via Láctea granite was selected. In addition to creating a material contrast with the wood, it was chosen for its durability and ease of maintenance—qualities particularly important in an area subject to frequent contact with water and food.

Custom millwork concentrates cooking and storage functions along the side wall. Upper cabinets, base units, and drawers follow a clean-lined design, finished in shades of gray and oak. The refrigerator is built-in and concealed behind matching cabinetry, while the range hood is also hidden, avoiding the presence of exposed appliances.

At the center of this composition, a niche clad in Via Láctea granite houses the main countertop, where the induction cooktop and sink are located. The stone features two distinct finishes: a sawn finish on the interior surfaces, giving it a more matte gray appearance that visually connects with the flooring; and a brushed finish on the countertop, which enhances the material’s depth of tone. This combination meets both aesthetic and technical criteria.

At one end of the unit, a shelving system with niches of varying sizes establishes the transition between the kitchen and the entrance hall. Open on both sides, it allows personal objects and meaningful pieces to be displayed both to those entering the apartment and to those using the kitchen.

The area originally designated as the dining room was reconfigured to create a more generous space for meals and gatherings. The color palette remains restrained: an ebonized wood table surrounded by upholstered chairs in gray fabric. Above it, a trio of Flowerpot pendant lights by designer Verner Panton.
A custom-designed piece of furniture combines the functions of a buffet and a bar. It frames a glass cabinet with fluted glass doors, creating a subtle optical effect. Next to it, a Verde Guatemala marble countertop accommodates a coffee station, while a carved recess displays the owner’s collection of beverages.

Below, wooden doors provide additional storage. Raised on metal legs, the piece gains visual lightness, and a niche with integrated LED strip lighting creates a more atmospheric setting at night.

In the living room, an L-shaped sofa by Feeling Estofados organizes the space into two complementary orientations: one facing inward to encourage interaction between areas, and the other oriented toward the media wall, creating a more intimate setting for watching films.

On the wall facing the façade, custom-designed shelving units house the owner’s collection of figurines.

Lighting design plays a central role in shaping the apartment’s atmosphere. Between two existing structural beams, a linear lighting system runs along the entire wall, emitting continuous indirect light. This solution preserves the original ceiling height, avoiding the need for a dropped ceiling, while maintaining a sense of diffuse illumination and a clean ceiling free of exposed fixtures. The effect resembles a suspended line of light, softly and evenly illuminating the space.

Directly connected to the living room, a previously undefined space was transformed into a music room—one of the homeowner’s key requests from the outset. The walls and ceiling were painted in a shade of green, and a door at the back received the same finish, allowing it to visually blend into the space.

The piano occupies a prominent position, serving as a domestic retreat for practice. Curtains installed in front of the large windows filter natural light, enhancing visual comfort and ensuring greater privacy from neighboring buildings. This feature also contributes to improved acoustic performance.

While the living room maintains its original ceiling height of approximately 3 meters, and the kitchen measures around 2.7 meters due to a dropped ceiling concealing structural beams, the music room adopts a more intimate scale, reinforcing its introspective character.

In the private areas of the apartment, the same palette of materials and colors unfolds consistently. In the bedroom, the wall behind the bed is painted green, complemented by a gray upholstered headboard. Light wood bedside tables, custom-designed for the project, flank the bed and feature wall-mounted sconces. Artwork completes the composition.

On the opposite wall, a television and an armchair create a small support area, while indirect lighting integrated into a ceiling cove establishes a relaxing atmosphere.

At the bedroom entrance, a portal clad in panels wraps the walls and ceiling, creating a visual transition leading to the closet and en-suite bathroom. The bathroom door features double sliding panels, allowing for a wider opening.

Inside the en-suite, floors and walls are clad in large-format gray synthetic slabs with a stone-like finish. A sculpted Verde Guatemala marble vanity with dual faucets projects forward without a front apron, emphasizing a clean visual language. Below, a light wood cabinet with handleless doors reinforces the continuity of the design.

The bathtub provides a dedicated space for relaxation, positioned beside a walk-in shower with a ceiling-mounted rain showerhead. To resolve an existing level difference in the original layout, a half-height stone-clad partition was introduced, serving as a surface for candles and objects. Instead of traditional niches, the shower area features a built-in stone shelf—made from the same marble as the vanity—to accommodate bath products.

In the home office, a gray desk organizes the workspace, while wooden shelves and drawers provide support. Green niches establish a visual connection with the music room and bedroom. Open shelving once again displays part of the owner’s figurine collection, while closed compartments conceal documents and work materials.

The entire renovation was carried out by Studio Guzlive under a turnkey model, in which a single entity oversees all stages of the process—from design development to final construction. This approach allowed for the integration of multiple work fronts, ensured better coordination between technical solutions, and significantly reduced the overall timeline.

The result is an apartment that preserves the architectural memory of the modernist building it inhabits while translating, in a contemporary way, the lifestyle and priorities of its new resident. The intervention transforms a once fragmented layout into a fluid and luminous space, where materials, millwork, and furniture work together to construct a cohesive domestic narrative deeply connected to everyday living.

Data Sheet

Project: PG Apartment
Location: Higienópolis, São Paulo, Brazil
Area: 133 m²
Year: 2025
Interior Architecture: Studio Guzlive
Project Team: Gustavo Live, Gabriela Nagao, Jhennifer Rocha
Lighting Design: Studio Guzlive
Construction: Studio Guzlive
Photography: Kiko Masuda
Communications / Text: Matheus Pereira Comunicação

Key Suppliers

Architecture & Finishes: Pedras Ipiranga (stonework – Via Láctea black granite, Verde Guatemala marble, São Gabriel black granite); Gasômetro Müller (Tauari wood flooring); Marcenaria De Mello (custom millwork); Berneck (Plomo Alumi MDF); Duratex (Carvalho Malva MDF); Arauco (Sálvia MDF); Portinari (Oslo GR wall/floor tile); Portobello (Barcelona Anthracite wall/floor tile); Santa Luzia (baseboards); Persianas Verona (wave curtains and blinds); Coelho Decorações (wallcoverings); Mirante Vidros (shower enclosures and glazing); Pormade (doors); Sherwin-Williams (paints); JRD Construções (construction).
Furniture: GP Decor (furniture); Feeling Estofados (Blend sofa, Breeze armchair); DK Móveis (Echo armchair); Zara Home (wooden armchair by Vincent Van Duysen); GP Decor (Pitaya coffee table, Doodle side table, W dining table, Asa chairs, Pensile nesting tables); Dunelli (Hug bed).
Lighting & Equipment: Decorlight (lighting); Newline (spotlights); MisterLED (linear lighting); Stella (LED strips); Guilherme Wentz (UM wall sconce); Orne Decor (Flowerpot pendant by Verner Panton); Skyline (linear light system); LG (air conditioning); CCAR (installation); AudioPrime (sound system).
Fixtures & Fittings: Deca (kitchen fittings, Level line, Acquaplus shower); Tramontina (sink, wet rail, dispenser); Bela Metais (Lay faucet, bathtub); Roca (toilet); Kohler (toilet); Pingoo.casa (freestanding faucet).
Appliances & Electronics: Electrolux (oven, refrigerator, microwave, wine cooler, dishwasher, water purifier); Brastemp (cooktop); Suggar (range hood); Oster (air fryer); Samsung (OLED televisions).
Accessories & Décor: São Carlos (rugs); Stéphane Malysse (artworks); Galerie Piège pour un Voyeur (gallery); Domenico Salas (artworks); Marché Art de Vie (decorative objects); Loja 789 (decorative objects); Pair (decorative objects).

Product Spec Sheet

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PG Apartment

Higienópolis, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

PG Apartment

Higienópolis, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team